


Heart to Heart

by storybored



Series: WHUMPTOBER (Tune in for suffering) [6]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Betrayal, Drinking, Gen, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 09:17:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16720575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storybored/pseuds/storybored
Summary: Slade finally caught up to his son, after all this time. He had to explain why he made those choices, that it wasn't him choosing someone over his son. It was him trying to prevent his son from making the same mistakes he did.





	Heart to Heart

Kane heard him on the roof before he started speaking, he knew how dangerous it was coming here but he didn’t care. He just wanted to see why his father left, why he constantly chose Oliver over him. The nearly empty bottle of vodka hung from his fingers as his father approached. He sounded hesitant which was a rare occurrence after Lian Yu and it never happened before then,”Joe?”

Kane couldn’t help the slight growl that escaped him,”Stop calling me that.”

Slade came to stand next to him and Kane slid over keeping a distance between the two of them,”That is your name.”

Kane squeezed his hand around the neck of the bottle before pulling it close to his chest,”It hasn’t been for six years. After you disappeared I changed my name, the farther I got away from you the easier my life was.”

Slade took a slightly pained inhale and Kane realized that he screwed up, he flicked his eyes over at his father before looking back down watching the cars drive by in the city,”....Sorry.”

Slade sighed and squeezed the rail Kane was leaning on. Kane knew the mirakuru was gone but he was still expecting the rail to warp in his father’s grip, he was expecting the whine of metal and it to crush like tin foil,”No, it’s okay. You were hurt by what happened back after Lian Yu.”

“Hurt.” Kane repeated the word,”Hurt, that’s one way to put it.” 

“I know I broke my promise to you. But you need to understand-”

Kane cut his father off and hit his hand on the rail,”Which promise? The promise that you wouldn’t leave? The one where you wouldn’t lie to me? Or the one where I was the only thing you had to lose?”

“Life isn’t that simple.” 

Kane looked at his father with disbelief before finishing the contents of the bottle and dropping it to the floor, not even wincing as it shattered over his boots,”But it is. You and mother taught me that nothing comes before country not even family. But you also taught me that family is the most important thing we have and you keep choosing the green arrow over me?”

Slade opened his mouth to correct Kane or at least clarify for him, but Kane continued talking his voice quiet but frenzied,”I’m your son.”

“It’s more complicated than you know.” Kane fidgeted slightly, kicking off the shards of glass that landed on his shoes, but made no movement to pull away from his father as he slowly approached,”It wasn’t choosing Oliver over you, it was not wanting  you to make the same mistakes I made.”

Kane’s voice was soft,” Like mother did?”

Slade knew that his son worshiped the ground his mother walked on,”Does she know?”

Kane swallowed,”That I’m alive?”

Slade nodded, him and his son weren’t men of many words, so the words they typically said carried much more weight then the chattier people like Oliver or Billy, Kane sighed,”She can’t. Not with her deal with ASIS. I’m not going back, there’s nothing there for me. You and uncle saw to that.”

“Billy?”

“Wade.” Slade’s heart broke at the look of split second defeat that crossed his son’s face as it contorted into a cool mask of professionalism. Slade was familiar with that look all too well, he wore it every day he had the mirakuru. 

“Nothing I will do will make up for how I hurt you, Son.” Slade wasn’t good with words or feelings really in general. Most people who knew him could understand what he meant by reading in between the lines.

Kane turned around to face Slade and smiled at him, sugary and sweet, like he used to growing up,”Don’t worry about me. I release you from your promises. Go be with Oliver, I’m used to being the second choice, and I’m done. Now you no longer have to feel bad about choosing Oliver over me. I’m no longer your problem.”

Kane hopped over the railing and began to climb down the fire escape. Slade buried his head in his hands. He knew that there was nothing he could do, his son wasn’t willing to hear him out and Slade couldn’t blame him. Slade betrayed him and everything his family believed in, and this was the penance Slade had to serve to watch his son always walk away from him never wanting to reconnect and understand.


End file.
